


My Body Is Cold

by EbbaTriesToWrite



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Caves, Freezing, Gen, Huddling For Warmth, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28991463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EbbaTriesToWrite/pseuds/EbbaTriesToWrite
Summary: “It’s cold.” Joe whispers.“Yeah.” Booker agrees and reaches out to tug the blanket up from where it had fallen, tucking it in behind Joe’s shoulder.His fingers are blue.“They’ll find us soon.”“Yeah.” Booker says again.
Relationships: Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani
Comments: 29
Kudos: 65





	My Body Is Cold

“It’s cold.” Joe whispers.

“Yeah.” Booker agrees and reaches out to tug the blanket up from where it had fallen, tucking it in behind Joe’s shoulder. 

His fingers are blue. 

“They’ll find us soon.” 

“Yeah.” Booker says again. 

He rests his head against Joe’s shoulder. Joe can barely feel it but he still rests his head atop of Booker’s. This really wasn’t how Joe had predicted their reunion would happen. He had thought it would be another fifty years as planned, and that they wouldn’t be stuck in a cave in the Siberian wilderness after getting separated from the others during a mission. 

“Our trackers should still work.” he can see his breath in the air in front of him, “Right?” 

“Yeah.” Booker’s voice sounds stronger all of the sudden, Joe lets his eyes fall shut even as a smile tugs at his cracked lips, “I’m glad you were willing to use them. I didn’t think you’d trust me with it.” 

“Nile convinced us.” Joe admits and he’s surprised by his own worry, he doesn’t want to hurt Booker’s feelings. He wonders if he’ll be able to convince the others to let him come back to them early. He realises he’s missed his brother far more than he’s been willing to admit, even to himself. 

“She’s good for you guys.” Booker says and his body suddenly tilts forward but Joe doesn’t have the strength to stop his fall. 

“Book?” he speaks a bit too loudly and it hurts his throat, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Booker assures him, voice still strong, but he’s not moving. 

With more strenght than Joe thought he could possess at this moment he manages to pull Booker’s head into his lap and tucks his blanket back over him. 

“Thank you.” Booker says as Joe runs a gloved hand over his head, he’d like to run his fingers through his hair but he isn’t particularly fond of having his fingers fall off from frostbite. 

He leans his head back against the stone wall and closes his eyes. He wakes up gasping for breath. He knows it’s a bad sign but he’s sure the others will find them before too long. Joe isn’t entirely sure how long they’ve been here but there is some light peeking in through a crack in the cieling near the cave’s mouth so it must have been over ten hours by now. It doesn’t worry him though, the others won’t stop looking. 

“Booker?” his voice is weak and scratchy but the cave is silent so the other man should be able to hear him, “You with me still?” 

“Always.” Booker says, voice clear and certain, “Will always be with you.” 

“Good.” Joe uses the energy that always comes with a resurection to manouver himself to lay down behind Booker, “I’ve missed you.” he admits as he curls an arm around his waist.

“I have missed you too.” Booker says but he doesn’t move an inch.

Joe burrows his face in the back of Booker’s neck and shudders at the coldness of his skin. He doesn’t pull away though, hoping that they’ll be able to share some body heat at the very least. It doesn’t help much and he realises it was stupid to lay down like this, the cold of the stone underneath him seeping faster into his skin now. 

“You shouldn’t lay on the ground.” Booker says, apparently on the same train of thought, “More surface area means you’ll freeze faster.” 

“Then why haven’t you gotten up yet?” he mutters back, smirking slightly even though it pulls at the dried skin on his lips. Booker is still the same, full of lectures but never taking any of the advice himself. 

“I can’t.” 

Joe’s smile falls, “What do you mean?” 

“My body is cold.” Booker says simply, as if it was enough of an answer, as if Joe’s body isn’t just as cold. 

Joe doesn’t know what to say though and so he curls his arm a little tighter around Booker’s middle, trying to hold him closer. He feels like it’s something he needs to do now or he won’t get to do it again. His mind is tired though and he can’t quite figure out why the urge is suddenly so strong. 

He lets his eyes rest for a minute. 

He wakes up with a gasp again and he hears the muffled sound of scratching? Digging? He isn’t entirely sure.

“Joe.” Booker says urgently, “You need to get up.”

Joe groans in response and curls up closer around him. He doesn’t want to let go. 

“Joe, the others have found you.” Booker says again but he’s so  _ still,  _ “You have to let go.” 

He shakes his head, “Don’t want to.” 

“Joe-” Booker sounds reluctant to speak but his voice is strong, Joe is impressed, he lost any power in his own voice hours ago already, “my body is cold.” 

“The others are here.” Joe murmurs and clings on a bit tighter.

“My body is cold.” Booker says again and all Joe wants is for him to stay quiet, “I’m not in it anymore.” 

“I’ll keep you warm.” Joe promises just as the cave is filled with light, yells of delighted victory echoing around them, “If I hold you like this, I can keep you warm.” 

“You have to let go.” Booker insists. 

“They’re here!” 

“Joe!” 

“Booker!”

“Oh no.” 

Joe squeezes his eyes shut and presses his face against cold skin again. He feels someone touch his cheek but he doesn’t want to look at whoever it is. Their touch is warm though. 

“Yusuf-” Nicolo whispers, voice raw and vulnerable, “Yusuf you have to let go so we can get you out of here.” 

He shakes his head even as he feels someone tug at his stiff arm curled around Booker. He’s too weak to fight it and he can already feel sleep trying to pull him under again. 

“He’s cold.” he mumbles and whoever is holding his arm stills, “I have to keep him warm.” 

“I’m warm now Joe.” Booker says, “You can let go.” 

He doesn’t want to. 

But he does.


End file.
